Holder for paper sheets



y 19414 F. c. ARMSTRONG ETAL 2,240,974

HOLDER FOR PAPER SHEETS Filed Oct. 14, 1959 fizz-5.6 BY ATTO g N Patented May 6, i941 UNITED STATES PATENT .QOFFICE Frank Oofley Armstrong, Kittson Van Meter, ,Bayside, N. Y.,

American Telephone and L nt. and Karl assignors to Telegraph Company.

a corporation of New York Application October 14, 1939, Serial No. 299,566

2 Claims.

This invention has reference to paper holdersthat is to say, boxes or containers for holding a stack of sheets of paper upon which notes or memoranda may be made.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a holder into which sheets or stacks of paper may be inserted with ease and from which sheets may be removed only one at a time with equal ease.

This, and further objects, will be apparent from the following description, when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing in which certain modifications of the invention are illustrated.

Referring to the drawing, Figure l is a front elevation of one form of the improved holder;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom view of the holder illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is a front the holder;

Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a view showing the manner in which a sheet of paper may be removed from theholder by pinching together the edges of the outer sheet of a stack.

In the drawing, the holder is shown as having a substantially rectangular casing. provided with a front face and a parallel rear face. This casing maybe made from any suitable metal from which it may be stamped in one piece. The front face is shown as having a sight-opening 5, the boundary of which is formed by four inwardly directed flanges 6. The rear face I of the casing is provided with apertures through which screws 8 may pass to secure the casing to a supporting wall 9. This supporting wall may :be one of a series of walls forming an enclosure, for instance, a telephone booth.

In the form illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the device is shown as having a casing which lies at an angle slightly inclined from its vertical supporting surface 9. This angular mounting facilitates convenience in writing. The form of the device as shown in these figures has end walls l0, it which are tapered somewhat toward their tops, and angular narrow strips ll extend from these end walls and inwardly on the rear face of the device. These strips lie in a vertical position and abut the supporting wall 9 when the device is in position. The strips have openings through which the screws 8 pass after being introduced through the openings in the rear face 1. The

elevation of another form of wall of this rear face 'I of the casing is forwardly at its top edge and, is then turned backwardly upon itself. The rear edge of the turned back portion abuts the supporting wall 8 and a triangular space I2 is formed by this wall and the bent portions of the casing, just referred to, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2. The meeting point of the bent portions is rounded as shown in It, and beneath this rounded portion retaining fingers or members it are provided. These members extend downwardly and inwardly into a throat or chute I5. This throat or chute is formed between the rounded portion II and a curved wall it extending upwardly from the top flange i on the front face. Sheets of paper are inserted through this opening to form a stack 16' within the compartment of the casing, as will be later described in detail, and the flngers act as stops to prevent the withdrawal of the sheets through the slot.

The bottom wall ll of the casing, as shown in Fig. 3, has a' series of slots l8 cut therethrough. These openings are provided to permit the escape of dirt or ashes which may enter the casing. These openings also prevent the removal of a stack of sheets by the insertion and operation of a lever or pry under the stack thereby creating suflicient distortion of the stack of sheets to permit removalthrough the sight-opening. A plate l9 may be afllxed to the face of the bottom flange 6 of the casing, if desired, upon which directions, legends, or other matter may appear.

In the modification illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5, the sight-opening is provided between the inwardly directed flanges 6 in a manner similar to that previously described in connection with the previously described figures. In Figs. 4 and 5, the. casing extends in a vertical position on the supporting wall 9 with its rear face 1' lying flat against this wall. A top ledge 20 extends perpendicularly from this back wall and a downwardly directed flange 2i extends from the ledge 20. A slot 22 is provided between the flange 2| and the flange 6 which slot reaches from one side wall It to the other side wall. Sheets of paper may be introduced through this slot or opening into the compartment formed by the walls of the casing and its flanges. The bottom of the casing may also be provided with openings, as

illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, for the purposes previously outlined.

The casing is loaded by the insertion of sheets of paper through the slot or opening in the upper part of the casing until a suflicientnumber of sheets have been introduced into the chamber of the casing to form a stack of a desired size. The sheets lie on their edges in a vertical position within the chamber and are of such size that they ilt rather snugly therein. It will be apparent that the area of the sheets is greater than that of the sight opening, so that they are held within the walls of the casing by the border provided by the inwardly directed flanges. They are also prevented from being removed through the slot or opening in the top by the retaining means or fingers illustrated in the modification shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, or by the upper flange which extends horizontally across the face of the casing and downwardly from the top ledge as illustrated in the modification shown in Figsmi and 5.

In removing a sheet from the holder, it is merely necessary to pinch together the vertical edges of the outer sheet of the stack and thus withdraw the sheets one at a time, as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawing.

While the arrangements of this invention have been illustrated as embodied in certain specific forms which have been deemed desirable, it will be understood that they are capable of embodiment in many and widely varied forms without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A casing having a rear face adapted to be attached to a supporting wall, a front face hav sheets into escape of dirt and also by the application of a pry ing inwardly directed flanges forming a border for a sight-opening, a compartment formed be-- tween said faces and end walls for holding paper sheets. said sight-opening being of lesser dimensions than the area of the paper sheets contained in said compartment, said casing also having a slot in its upper front portion above the sightopening for permitting the insertion of paper said compartment, and. retaining means extending into said slot to form stops for the upper edges oi the paper sheets and tending to prevent the ready withdrawal of the sheets through the slot.

2. A casing having a compartment for holding paper sheets and being provided with a sightopening on the front face thereof, said opening being of lesser dimensions than the area of the paper sheets contained in said compartment, said casing having a slot for the insertion of the paper sheets into the compartment to form a stack, means tending to prevent the ready withdrawal of the paper sheets through the slot and a base having slot means therein to permit the prevent the removal of the stack of sheets or the like under the stack to create sumcient distortion to permit removal through the sightopening.

FRANK COFF'EY ARMSTRONG. KARL KI'I'ISON VAN METER. 

